Dhaka: Woman rescued alive 16 days after disaster

Dhaka, May 10: It could not have been more miraculous than this. A woman was pulled alive from the debris of a building that collapsed in a suburb of the Bangladeshi capital, after 16 days! Fire services sources said the woman, named Reshma, had been found buried in the remains of the second floor of the ill-fated eight-story building called Rana Plaza, on April 24.

The woman suffered no injuries and had been talking to rescuers, sources added.

Reshma's fate marked an irony amid a disaster that claimed over 1,000 lives. Fifty-five bodies were pulled out from the rubble on Thursday. South Asia hasn't seen a tragedy of such magnitude since the Bhopal gas tragedy in the neighbouring India in December 1984.

The death toll was expected to climb as rescue operation was still on with crews using heavy machinery to remove the rubble from the area. The ill-fated building housed garment factories and the workers were allegedly forced to enter it and work even as they complained about cracks developing.

Army officers present at the rescue operation reportedly ordered to stop the proceedings once the woman's cry for help was heard. Hundreds of rescuers gathered at the site to rescue the soul. She was later taken to a military hospital.